Chinese Tallow trees to be removed from Pascagoula city property

The Chinese Tallow or Popcorn tree (sapium sebiferum) is listed as an invasive, noxious plant in Mississippi. (File photo)

PASCAGOULA -- The Beautification Division of the City of Pascagoula will begin the removal of all Chinese Tallow trees throughout the city in a few weeks.

Most people know these trees as Popcorn trees. They are an invasive species and not native to the area. These trees will be removed from right of ways and parks the first week in February.

The first area will be Belair Boulevard medians in the Pine Crest subdivision. The city will replace the trees this summer with Crepe Myrtles. This will be an ongoing project for Pascagoula.

According to the Mississippi State University Extension office, Chinese Tallow has been an appealing landscape choice in the past for Mississippi homeowners because of its bright colors, pollen usage, and fast growth. This has caused the Mississippi Gulf Coast to be at the center of this noxious, troublesome weed growth in the southern states.

According to the Mississippi Bureau of Plant Industry along with the USDA and IPAMS (Invasive Plant Atlas of the Midsouth), the Chinese Tallow or Popcorn tree (sapium sebiferum) is listed as an invasive, noxious plant in Mississippi.

The Chinese Tallow can tolerate a variety of environmental conditions which allows the tree to easily establish hardy root systems that over time, choke out and eliminate native species to this area.

This is a significant problem, because when native species are eliminated, the local ecosystem structure is changed. This in turn, causes adverse effects on local wildlife and their potential food supply. The Chinese Tallow is mostly found around roadways and is spread by seed dispersion through birds and humans. This noxious plant is also considered toxic to humans if ingested and even deadly to cattle.

If you have any questions about the Chinese Tallow please contact the Mississippi State University Extension for Jackson County at 228-769-3047 or by email at jackson@ext.msstate.edu.